10 Tips for Selecting a Domestic Cleaning Company

1. Looking for a domestic cleaner? the best place to find a local domestic cleaning company is either through your local press or online. I recommend doing a search online as this way you can find further infomation on the company by clicking through to their websites. Try websites such as Gumtree, Adzooks, Yell.com or Google - if using Google make sure you stipulate your search area within the search box.

2. Don't just rely on a web form for any enquiries you may have. Give them a call. By speaking to an actual employee of the business you can get a feel of who you are dealing with.

3. Always ask how quickly they can find you a cleaner. 24 - 48hrs should be the minimum length of time it takes to find you a cleaner. Any longer than this and I recommend you give them a wide berth. Why? Well in case of emergencies i.e. your cleaner is offsick, you need to know that they will be able to find you a replacement in the shortest time possible.

4. Find out what their vetting procedure is. A good domestic cleaning company should be able to provide references for each of their cleaners. If they also provide police background checks this is an added bonus.

5. Find out if their cleaning staff are regularly trained. A common misconception made by some cleaning companies is that anyone can clean, this is far from the truth. Cleaning staff need to be trained in the little things - i.e. buffing taps to a shine, removing marks from walls, cleaning switches etc. The little things really do matter.

6. Ask if they provide their own cleaning materials. If you are going to use a domestic cleaning company you may as well pick one that also provides cleaning materials. This means you do not have to worry about having the correct materials for the tasks at hand. This is also a more cost effective solution as you do not have to fork out extra to pay for cleaning products.

7. Make sure they are ensured for both Public and Employers Liability.

8. Find out if they have a contract which you need to sign. Read each clause carefully. Some companies will not pay for loss of keys nor damage to your property so be aware.

9. How do they maintain standards? Check to see if the have a system of checking that the work provided by your cleaner is of a high standard.

10. Try and get some sort of service level guarantees from the company you pick. For example if you are not happy with the work provided do they come back and redo the work for free or offer some kind of discount. Generally companies that offer this type of guarantees tend to be more customer focused.

There you have it! Top ten tips to help you pick a domestic cleaning company you can trust.